Question

What are some examples of the biological species concept?

Answer 1

The animal kingdom is vast and therefore zoologists have divided animals into several different groups. There are many ways that biologists can use to classify organisms however one of the most popular methods is the biological species concept.

Complete answer:
The biological species concept states that if a species can have healthy offspring together then they can be considered as one species. This concept is based on the presumption that animals that are relatively close to each other on the evolutionary tree are more likely to have compatible genes. Therefore they should be considered as a single species.
An example to show this concept could be domestic dogs. Dogs from all over the world can be bred with each other. This is regardless of their location and differences. The offspring that are produced are healthy and able to bear offspring of their own. Therefore by this concept, all of the dogs in the world are one species. However if a donkey and a horse mate then they would produce offspring that are not fertile. Thus these animals are different species.
There are certain restrictions to this concept. Animals like the tiger and lion can be artificially interbred in captivity and produce viable offspring. However these are still considered as different species.

Note:
The biological species concept is based on the reproductive compatibility of the species. One example that showcases this concept is domestic dogs. Dogs from all over the world can have viable offspring with each other therefore they are considered as one species.